GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Links 2 3 4 Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Rammstein
Rammstein · 2000s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
ESP Eclipse I CTM (Paul Landers signature or similar, likely with EMG pickups for studio recording)
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (Richard Z. Kruspe, studio recording), SansAmp GT2 direct (Paul Landers, studio recording)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 2000 (Mutter album sessions). Paul Landers is known to use SansAmp GT2 direct to board for rhythm, while Richard Kruspe used Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier heads. Both guitarists double-track for density. Gear confirmed for studio, not live.
Amp Settings
Mids5
Bass7.5
Gain9.5
Reverb0
Treble8
Presence6.5
Effects Chain
- Tech 21 SansAmp GT2 · distortion
- Noise gate (model unknown) · noise_gate
ESP Eclipse I CTM (EMG 81 bridge) → Tech 21 SansAmp GT2 (Landers, direct to board) OR Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (Kruspe) → Noise gate → Recording console
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- scooped mids
- crushing low end
- razor-sharp treble
- ultra-saturated distortion
- dense, layered rhythm guitars
- minimal ambience
- precise, machine-like riffing
- industrial metal punch
- aggressive palm muting
Notes & Caveats
- No direct studio photo of 'Links 2 3 4' session, but all sources agree on Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (Kruspe) and SansAmp GT2 (Landers) for Mutter-era studio recordings.
- Amp settings are averaged from forum posts and typical Rammstein tone guides for this era; no official knob photo for this song.
- Pedal/effects info is based on known studio practice and audible tone; no chorus, delay, or reverb is heard or cited for the riff section.
- Pickup and guitar model inferred from artist interviews and gear rundowns for Mutter album; not explicitly confirmed for this exact song but extremely likely.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Rammstein's 'Links 2 3 4' features a very tight, modern German metal tone with saturated high gain, controlled low end, and balanced mids (not scooped), using Mesa/Boogie Rectifiers or Diezel amps. The tone is dry with little to no reverb, and presence is boosted for clarity and aggression.